[Oct. 31.] But we have now to attend to a judicious measure pursued by the _New-York_ merchants, the more effectually to obtain a repeal of the stamp act. They resolved to direct their correspondents not to ship any more goods till it was repealed; and that they would not sell any goods upon commission, which should be shipped from Britain, after the first of January, unless upon that condition. They were the foremost in adopting the non-importation agreement; and recommended the like conduct to the _Massachusetts_, and the neighboring provinces in trade. [Nov. 7.] The merchants and traders of _Philadelphia_ had a general meeting, and entered into a similar agreement. Some quakers, who would not sign the combination, thought it prudent to be governed by the same restriction; and gave directions that the goods ordered should not be sent, unless the stamp act was repealed. It was not till December the ninth, that the merchants and traders of Boston resolved upon a non-importation. Government may deem such combinations illegal, as they are apt to do all that are opposed to their own measures; but surely the case of communities is bad indeed, if they have not a right voluntarily to agree among themselves, merely to suspend buying till they can obtain their own terms, when equitable. The peaceable line pursued in these agreements, had not been attended to by all who opposed the stamp act. They therefore, for their own safety, had a recourse to another, which might have drenched the country with blood, had not the repeal prevented. The way had been prepared by the publication of a system of politics, which appeared originally in the New-York papers, the principal point of which was, that the colonies are no otherwise related to Great-Britain than by having the same king. The essays meant to propagate and support this system, made their first appearance in the New-York prints, but most probably some of the manuscripts were sent from Boston. The New-York sons of liberty had, at length, a meeting, wherein they resolved, that they would go to the extremity, with lives and fortunes to prevent the stamp act. This spirit produced the following agreement between them and the sons of liberty in Connecticut: [Dec. 25.] “Certain reciprocal and mutual agreements concessions and associations made, concluded, and agreed upon by and between the sons of liberty of the colony of _New-York_, of the one part, and of the sons of liberty of the colony of _Connecticut_, on the other part, this twenty-fifth day of December, in the sixth year of the reign of our sovereign lord _George_ the Third, by the grace of God, of _Great-Britain_, _France_ and _Ireland_, king, defender of the faith, and in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty-five.